Attract Attention With Yellow Branding Design

The Meriam-Webster dictionary defines colour as "a phenomenon of light (such as red, brown, pink, or grey) or visual perception that enables one to differentiate otherwise identical objects." 

In marketing, colour has a huge role in defining a brand's identity. Each shade evokes certain feelings and summons the deeply entrenched associations we've been programmed to make with certain colours. 

If you’re looking to differentiate your brand, you’ll need a colour that speaks volumes… maybe that coulour could be yellow.

The psychology of colour

Did you know that 85% of consumers are influenced by colour when making a purchasing decision? That's because colour has a physiological and psychological effect on us. 

Studies show that colour affects the brain waves, autonomic nervous system and even our hormones, all of which influence our emotions. Depending on how your brain is stimulated, a host of different feelings could be triggered by a colour—joy, anger, sadness, anxiety. When we're depressed, we say we're feeling blue. Romance is associated with the colour red –– red roses and red hearts. And what about yellow? One of the three primary colours, yellow, is often perceived as a happy colour. But what does this mean from a branding perspective and how can it be leveraged?

What's so special about yellow?

Apart from being the subject of countless pop songs, yellow is a radiant colour that boosts your feelings of optimism and happiness. It's attention-grabbing and stimulating. There's a reason why energy drink branding is often yellow –– it immediately screams vitality, movement and activity. 

From a design perspective, yellow has that eye-popping quality that helps to capture attention.

In terms of history and culture, the yellow pigment has been used in cave art and ancient Roman and Egyptian paintings. Like gold, yellow represented the indestructible and was frequently used and honoured by sun-worshipping religions. 

If you're into the more esoteric side of things, yellow is the colour of the stomach chakra and is believed to be a mood-boosting Pantone that aids with digestion – emotional and physical. 

What exactly is yellow?

On the colour wheel, yellow sits between orange and green. Its brightness is attributed to the fact that it reflects a lot of light and has a wavelength of 570 to 590 nanometers. 

Why use yellow in your branding?

Yellow is a fun colour; it sparks cheerfulness and warmth – think sunshine and lemonade vibes. If this is something you'd like to convey with your branding design, then yellow is the colour for you.

Top reasons to choose yellow in your branding design:

• Grab attention. Yellow contrasts well against darker or complementary colours. 
• Yellow helps you convey a youthful, energetic and positive image. 
• Yellow can boost metabolism, so if you're a food brand, this is a good colour to choose. 
• Yellow is often used by "value for money" type brands or campaigns.

If any of these points align with your brand's objectives, yellow is a great colour to use.

Branding design for bold companies

Let's face it; yellow isn't for sissies. You would use this colour when you really want to stand out –– when you simply must be seen and noticed. 

Since yellow is by no means a subtle colour, you should use it sparingly and with intent – for example, on CTA (call-to-action) buttons. Too much yellow, and your risk fatiguing your customer or causing irritation. 

When working with someone who specialises in branding design, they should be able to help you choose the exact tone of yellow, as well as the complementary colours that will ensure your brand's core messaging isn't at odds with the visual elements you choose. 

Great examples of yellow in branding design

Food 

The iconic golden gates of the McDonald's "M". Yellow stands out in stark contrast against the red background. Remember, yellow is the colour that stimulates appetite, so it's more than aptly positioned here. And of course, since we associate yellow with happiness, there's nothing more fun than a "Happy Meal", right?

Construction 

You'll often spot yellow in construction. It's associated with high visibility and safety –– think safety equipment, road signs, helmets. As an example, here's Caterpillar Inc (CAT), the corporation that designs, develops, engineers, and manufactures construction machinery.

Technology

Did you ride the Snapchat craze wave? If you didn't, it's possible that you weren't in the target age group for the popular app. The theory that yellow is a youthful colour is evidently in action here. 

Yellow as part of your website’s colour palette

Yellow is a warm, buoyant colour. It can be used to complement the other tones you utilise, or it can make something pop out when combined with other design elements.

The best colour combinations for yellow:

• Blue
• Green
• Orange
• Red
• Grey
• Pink

Mailchimp

Mailchimp daringly goes for the all-yellow background, using black in the font for contrast and blue CTA buttons to draw the attention of the website visitor.

Moscot

Moscot uses yellow as the main colour on its website, contrasted with black. The subscription pop-up that launches on the home page immediately grabs the visitor's attention, promoting the 10% first purchase discount.

BEE Digital 

It's only natural that we talk about the yellow in our own logo and the way we use it to accentuate and underline key elements on our website. You'll find our call-to-actions and images use yellow to guide the visitor and help them take the desired action. Yellow aligns with our company culture as a group of energetic and fun professionals, keen to deliver the best digital marketing and sales services.

Conclusion

Cool web design, surprising features, full response and inbound ready: Webdesign is something to look at; it has to work – regardless of the colours you choose. 

A smart, inbound website delivers more traffic, more leads and more applicants. If you'd like us to assist you with expert branding design insights and services, let's have a conversation. If your heart is set on yellow, we can find the best and most effective ways to incorporate this into your branding and on your website.